Disease Hits Sylvarant
by Your Little Kitten
Summary: The story years after the two worlds joined back together, but is paradise quite what it's knocked up to be?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Hide and Seek Leads to Disaster**

A flash of brown hair seeped out from under light blue covers. The owner of that hair was a 5 year old girl who goes by the name Ebony Irving. She was playing hide-and-go-seek with her twin brother Ichabod. To any sensible grown-up under the covers on a bed would be a very easy to find hiding place. Ebony loved hiding there because Daddy never found her there, but he always found Ichabod in the closet. But today she wasn't playing against her father; today it was her brother who did not go easy on her at all.

Breathing heavily the brunette didn't hear footsteps creeping up on the bed. Ebony hadn't a clue as to where Ichabod was. Not, of course, until he jumped onto the bed and smothered her with his own weight. "Found you Ebony! I really did this time!" Giggling he let her go so that he could see her face. "You cheated!" She said after fighting against her brother's weight then the covers' tricky tangles.

"Did not! I could see you!" Ichabod returned to her shocked that he had been accused of cheating. Knowing that it would be pointless to fight with him any longer Ebony sighed. "Ok, you win." Then the light returned to her light brown eyes and she smiled. "Your turn…hurry while I count", with that she closed her eyes, covered her ears, and started counting.

"One…Two…Three…um…Fow…Five…" Professor Sage had taught her how to count. But she often found her change from 3 to 4 hard to do. Ebony always forgot that one part, "Eight…Nine…Ten!" Opening her eyes Ebony's smile grew. "Ready or not, here I come!" With that she then ran directly to the closet her brother so loved to hide in. When she saw he wasn't there she sighed in frustration and looked around. Thinking he must have gone back down stairs Ebony ran across the room that had been extended since its first creation and ran down the stairs.

Going so fast Ebony thought she was going to fly she spread her arms out as far as they could go. "Ichabod, where are you?" She yelled taunting him to come out. When he didn't do as she wished Ebony started to look all around the semi-large cabin.

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One would say the Irvings lived comfortably. There had been a lot of improvements on Dirk's old house when Sheena and Lloyd moved in there, then even more when the wins were born. The whole balcony area had been turned into the child's room, and the existing room closed off from the stairway for parental privacy.

A whole new room was put in where Noishe's pen used to be right to the side of the house, and the beloved pet was given a nice dog house to live in.

Many people of the neighboring Village Iselia Found it odd that they could afford all that remodeling, but since they hadn't used up so much Gald on certain healing supplies. Most of the money went towards weaponry, and then the weapons were sold once they were of no further use. Since they did all that there was plenty of Gald to spend on certain needs. Plus, Zelos the great helped with the financials; after all, he was the richest out of the group.

The only bad thing added to the property since the reforming of the old singular world, a new grave. Yes, someone had died in this house. The dwarf who's name was Dirk died a couple years ago from the same disease that had whipped out the whole Triet Desert population, and is killing so many other people who lived in the old world of Sylvarant.

The people of Tethe'alla did not have any symptoms of this strange disease because there immune systems grew up with it and didn't affect them. It was like a common cold to them. Not one person from that old world had died from this disease, not one.

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Running outside Ebony first looked in Noishe's Dog house. It wasn't the same Noishe as her father had grown up with; he had died when the twins were two, of old age. This one was the 1st's daughter. She was all pink with green eyes.

Ebony could hear her barking and ran in that direction. Noishe's barking didn't come from the dog house, but the woods she was forbidden to go into alone. With only a second of hesitation the 5 year old crossed the old bamboo bridge and ventured into the woods.

Looking around Ebony wondered where her raven haired brother was. Stumbling across some fallen branches she continued to follow the frantic yaps coming from her beloved Noishe. "Noishe! Ichabod!" the barking stopped for a couple seconds and Ebony ran towards where her memory remembered the barking.

Then a minute or so later she could hear barking again so much closer, "Noishe?" Running now a couple more yards towards the barking, Ebony saw the large puppy barking up a tree at something. "Noishe, c'mere girl…come here doggy!" Ebony patted at her legs trying to get the pink puppy to come over to her.

Noishe's ear twitched back to show she had heard her, but seemed too interested in what was up in the tree. Walking over to the tree Ebony brushed away some thorns that had attached themselves to her purple dress. She didn't want the thorns to tear the soft fabric, it was Elvin fabric and her mother had said it was made by very special people. "What's up there girl", Ebony asked her.

When she finally got to the tree Ebony's light brown eyes widened in shock, for what she saw up there was utterly shocking. It was Ichabod sprawled across a couple branches. He had cuts all over his body and his white shirt was drenched in blood.

"ICHABOD!" Ebony screeched his name in horror. "Broder…wake up!" His eyes were closed and it looked like he was having troubles breathing. Turning to Noishe Ebony said, "Watch Broder for me…I'll get Daddy!" With that she turned on her heels and ran as fast as her tiny body could take her. Once she got back home she started to yell at the top of her lungs for anyone, "MOMMY…DADDY!" When no one answered she ran into the house. Upon seeing her father at the stove making figurines she ran to him, "Daddy…Daddy!" She was tugging at his red pants desperately. Her head just barely made it to his hip.

"What is it Darling?" Lloyd Irving asked his daughter while kneeling down to talk to her. "Daddy…Ichabod is hwrt!" Ebony hated not being able to pronounce certain words. And usually when she concentrated on speaking correctly she could do it, but right now she was too worried for her brother.

Fear seeped into Lloyd's eyes. "What? Where is he?" Ebony took her father's large hands in her grasp and started pulling him. "In the fowest Daddy! Follow Me!" With that Lloyd stood up and the two went running towards the place Ebony had found her brother.

Lloyd could hear Noishe barking every now and then and Ebony would turn in that direction. He figured his daughter had left there trustworthy pet to watch over the injured child.

Finally after running for several minutes father and daughter found the dog and son. Ichabod was up in the tree still right where Ebony had left him. Lloyd was shocked at the condition his son was in. "Noishe, get back." He said that to the dog so that he could get to Ichabod without worrying about the safety of young Noishe.

Listening to her master the pink dog backed away. Whimpers could be heard coming from her lips. "Noishe, come here girl, come here Noishe", came the words from Ebony. She was standing a couple yards back behind her father who had just jumped into the tree rather gracefully.

Grabbing up his son from the tree Lloyd handled the injured child carefully. He would have to get Raine to heal him, which was probably the only way to heal his wounds. Jumping down to the ground with Ichabod held gently against his chest Lloyd wandered what monster had done this to his son. It had to have been a beast with teeth to have left those kinds of marks all over his body, a wolf most likely. The only other kind of beast would be a bear, and they diffidently didn't live in this area. And even though wolves hardly venture into these woods Lloyd figured that was his only explanation.

Without stopping his thought process after he landed Lloyd looked to Ebony and said, "Get on Noishe and go quickly to Iselia…you remember the path we take to get there?" Ebony simply nodded her light brown eyes were full of fear and were near crying point. "Go to Professor Sage's house and ask for his older sister Raine…got that?" Ebony nodded again. She had often heard that Professor Sage's sister was a great healer, and knew she could help.

Grabbing onto Noishe's fur ebony straddled her, one tiny leg on each side. "But Daddy…what if I get lost?" Lloyd kneeled down slightly so that he could look into his daughter's eyes. Everyone said Ebony was exactly like her father that is, in her appearance. When it came to personality she took after her mother, doubtful in her abilities. "You won't…now go and find Raine, Noishe knows the way to Iselia if you've forgotten."

Ebony nodded, still unsure of her self. Holding tight to Noishe's pink fur she leaned forwards and said, "Let's go Noishe." Watching his daughter ride off towards town Lloyd feared for her safety. After all she was only 5 years old, so young, yet so smart and brave. It was all thanks to Genis that she was smart. He taught her so much, twice as much as people twice her age.

Snapping back to reality Lloyd looked at his injured son. It was best that Ebony made the long trip to Iselia. Ichabod probably wouldn't be able to with-stand being carried over the rocky dense forest. Once Ebony was gone Lloyd quickly made his way back to the cottage. He had to get his son to safety and make him comfortable until Raine could get to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: "This is Raven"

Two people entered Iselia Forest completely unnoticed. The male looked about 28 years old, and the girl 17.

"Kratos, where are we going? I mean you never did inform me." The brunette Angel looked at his blonde companion who asked him that question. It had been after a long silence they'd been traveling in for so long. Thinking about the answer to her question for a couple seconds he continued walking in silence. Kratos could sense the teenager's dark brown eyes starting up at him. Finally he decided to tell her.

"There is a house nearby, more of a cottage sort really." Kratos stopped speaking as they found the trail again. Somehow they had fallen off course a while ago and Kratos had to find there way back. He very well could have flown him and the girl to the dwarf's house, but the child didn't quite know about his ability yet. She only knew of her own strange powers due to the black exsphere.

At the ripe age of one and a half the girl had been experimented on. They had taken her away from her heart broken parents at that age and took away the rest of her childhood. When the girl was 5 they infused the black exsphere onto her back. That too had been experimental.

"Whoa…what happened there?" The girl's voice brought Kratos out of his thoughts. Apparently they had stopped just outside the Iselia Ranch. Kratos crossed his arms across his chest and said, "Lloyd Irving destroyed that and many other Human Ranches in his journey of 'saving the two worlds'. I hadn't realized how close we are to his house, come along Raven we mustn't dawdle."

Raven…it wasn't the name her parents had given her, but the ones the 'Desians' had when they spoke of her. Her experiment was dubbed 'The Raven Project' and she had supposedly just picked up on it after hearing them call her Raven for so long.

Hearing a high whistling noise Kratos looked around. Looking towards the sky as a last resort he saw two Rheards zip through the sky, one red and one blue. They were heading North-West, Lloyd's house! Wondering who it was Kratos tried to get a better look.

His angel eyes saw a flash of silver hair on each of the flying devices, and he even thought he saw brown hair flying back too. Walking a couple steps forwards Kratos spoke to Raven, "Come on, we must hurry." He wasn't sure who it was on the Rheards, but it looked like Raine and Genis along with a little girl who he didn't know.

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Minutes later Kratos and Raven walked out of the woods and saw to their amazement the 'cottage'.

"I thought you said it was a cottage, not a big house, Kratos!" Raven said while crossing a bamboo bridge.

"I suppose Lloyd's done some remodeling", said Kratos in his usual slightly cold voice. Walking up to the front door he looked around. He had noticed something that chilled his bones.

"There is fresh blood on the frame", his words were now filled with worry. Reaching for the door knob Kratos wondered if just walking in would be the best thing. His worry over powered his common sense and the Mercenary pushed open the door to a seemingly empty house.

"Lloyd? Dirk? Raine? Genis?" He called out for those who he figured would be here. When no one answered his call Kratos unsheathed his double sided sword and motioned for Raven to stay where she was. After the blonde girl nodded to show that she would stay put Kratos slowly made his way around the ground floor. He planned to go to the top floor after making sure everything was safe around here. A couple minutes later Kratos saw that everything was safe down on the ground floor.

"Do you hear something up there?" Came words from the blonde teenager Raven. Kratos stopped walking around to listen to what Raven asked about. He didn't hear anything right away, but then heavy boots scraping across the floor above them were noises that came to his ears. Quickly he made his way up the stairs and saw a door to his right where there used to be an open room. That wasn't the only change to this house upstairs. Directly in front of him where there once was a balcony there was a children's room.

"When did THIS happen?"

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"When did THIS happen?" Lloyd heard a voice just outside the room he was in. Looking over at his sleeping son and exhausted daughter he worried for their safety. Quickly and quietly Lloyd unsheathed both of his swords from his hips.

The father heard someone in the corner near the bed stand up. Lloyd quickly looked back to see Genis, his young half elf friend standing up and looking at him with questioning eyes. Lloyd merely raised a finger to his own lips trying to balance a sword in his hand.

"What's wrong Kratos?" Lloyd then heard a girl's voice speak his father's name. Throwing caution to the wind now Lloyd lowered his weapon and walked over to the door frame that of his children's room.

"Kratos?", Lloyd looked at the man who was his father, yet never really fathered him

"Kratos what are you doing here? What about Derris Kharlan?" He could remember that the reason he hadn't seen his father for the last 13 years was because the 'Angel' had to stay on Derris Kharlan, another world, so that it wouldn't crash into their world.

Lloyd didn't notice he girl who Kratos with until, suddenly with a flash, he remembered there had been a girl's voice that had alerted him to who was there.

Looking out into the hallway Lloyd asked upon seeing the blonde teen, "And who is this?"

"This is Raven…"

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**OK this is Chapter 2…please read and review! As always Constructive criticism is always helpful!**


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